On a late November evening in Rhode Island, Providence College played host to the visiting Brigham Young University basketball team for a cross-country clash on the hardwood. The Cougars took the floor for the first time as a visitor in their young season in hopes of returning home with a victory.
Like racehorses frenzied in anticipation for the starting horn to sound, each team’s starting five took to the floor, anxious for the opening tip-off to let them loose. The atmosphere buzzed as the crowd fixed their gaze on the court. The muted shrieks of sneakers on the playing surface composed the rhythmic symphony of competition. This basketball game would not be remembered for its result.
The ball was tipped, and the trail-bound Cougars removed the bounds holding the game clock. With 40 minutes of basketball underway, the countdown had begun. Who could have expected this basketball game would not be remembered for its result but for the hateful and bigoted jeers of the student section?
It wasn’t long before a ball flew out of play near the Providence student section. A moment of dead air was suddenly invaded by a coordinated chant.
“F— the Mormons! F— the Mormons!”
The message was clear and poignant: the visitors were not welcome in Providence due to religious intolerance. In no uncertain terms, the home crowd joined as one to spread hatred. If this were an isolated incident, time could wash this polluted occasion into triviality.
Neither happened. The collective roar from a sea of fans loyal to a school nicknamed “Friars” was active in disparaging another sect of Christianity. Bigotry is blind, I suppose.
To make matters worse, BYU would suffer an embarrassing 19-point defeat to the host team, returning home with no response to the inexcusable act of intolerance directed toward them in the early minutes of the game. Salt meets wound.
If this were an isolated incident, time could wash this polluted occasion into triviality. As Brigham Young University and its sponsor religion, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, have experienced, this instance is indicative of a greater pattern that has been directed at “Mormons” for years.
While it is not often this publicized, private instances of this level of hatred towards the Church and its membership are hardly infrequent.
Jake Retzlaff, BYU football’s Jewish quarterback, shared his unique perspective on this phenomenon with McKay Coppins of the Atlantic. The head of the Cougars’ football team wears his religious beliefs as a badge of honor, especially at an institution with an overwhelmingly LDS student body.
“The blatant disrespect for their faith—it’s something to think about. What if there was a Jewish university that had a Jewish football team, and they were saying that in the stands?” Retzlaff questioned, appalled. “Imagine if that hit the papers. That would be a big deal.”
“There’s a lot of people who just don’t like Mormon people for no reason,” he insisted. “That’s what happened to the Jews all throughout history.”
The man who fans affectionately dubbed “BYJew” has experienced more anti-Mormonism during his time at BYU than anti-Semitism, but the lack of outrage from bystanders is especially noteworthy.
At football games at Oregon University’s Autzen Stadium, “— the Mormons” chants showered the field, much to the disgust of an LDS recruit in attendance as he was considering a commitment with the Ducks. Identical jeers from the University of Southern California arrived when BYU competed in the Colosseum. Ironically, the Trojans’ starting quarterback was likewise a member of the very church they were disparaging. That player’s exit from USC in the following offseason didn’t come as a surprise to many. Simply stated, members of the Church are encouraged not to fight back.
Anti-LDS rhetoric seems to be more socially acceptable than other religious bigotry, and I have a theory as to why that could be—it all stems from the victim’s response (or lack thereof).
The New Testament’s instructions on responding to opposition are clear: “Resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.” The Savior’s Church, and its latter-day leaders, share this sentiment and insist that followers of Christ resist any impulses that would rupture any remaining civility in hostile interactions.
Simply stated, members of the Church are encouraged not to fight back. In some ways, this makes “Mormons” an easy target. Conversely, this perspective allows for more constructive rhetoric in our interactions. Rather than biting back when a stranger’s hostility shakes your composure, re-routing conversations to be uplifting and positive can build a stronger resolve to stand for good. Returning hatred for hatred is a horrible way to live.
President of the Church, Russell M. Nelson, declared in his April 2023 discourse, Peacemakers Wanted, “The Savior’s message is clear: His true disciples build, lift, encourage, persuade, and inspire—no matter how difficult the situation. True disciples of Jesus Christ are peacemakers.” Opposition is inevitable, but a strong resolve can shape our character.
Your response to opposing forces will mold both who you are today and who you can become tomorrow. Opposition is inevitable, but a strong resolve can shape our character. The anecdote from the opening was not the first instance of religious bigotry aimed toward the Church or its members, and it certainly won’t be the last.
Take faith in knowing that persecution comes and goes, but your reaction can greatly affect your circumstances—for good or bad. Turning the other cheek isn’t a sign of physical weakness; rather, it’s a strong indication of moral resolve.
